How to Win a UFC Fight

Jon Jones, right, eventually won this fight by a tap out.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts circuit has some set rules about how a fighter can win a fight. In its early days, the UFC had three ways to win: knock out, submission or referee stoppage. As of 2011, the UFC had redefined several of rules, including the ways to win.

Instructions

1. The first, and most exciting way to win a UFC fight, is the technical knockout (TKO). A fight is won by TKO when the referee determines one of the fighters is no longer able to defend himself.

2. Submission rules still apply. A submission means one fighter concedes the fight because he is in a painful hold and can't free himself. The fighter signals this by tapping the mat several times in a row. A "tap out" is the slang term for a submission.

3. The most common way to win a UFC fight is by decision via the scorecard. This occurs when the fight has gone all of the scheduled rounds. The three judges, who have kept scores based on the fighter's strikes and control time, decide the winner. The decision could be a draw.

4. A fighter can win by technical decision when his opponent is too injured to continue fighting. He can also win if his opponent is disqualified for breaking the rules. Some violations that could lead to disqualification are eye gouging, hitting the back of the head, and the always cringe-inducing groin shot.

5. The final, and least exciting, way to win a UFC fight is by forfeit. A fighter can forfeit the match if he is suffering from illness or injury and just doesn't bother to fight.

References

• UFC